The Spirit Is Willing
by Belen09
Summary: Happened whilst visiting an 'uninteresting' star much like Sol . . .
1. Chapter 1

The Spirit Is Willing . . .

There wasn't much that was interesting from an armory standpoint on the unnamed 'minor' planet that orbited the 'uninteresting' yellow star that was much like Sol. So when a group from the Armory Department came back from testing a new mixture of explosive, and were 'checked out' by Dr. Phlox – it came as a surprise that he immediately 'held on to' an irritated Malcolm Reed for further examination. Alternate Universe.

OOOOO

Jonathan Archer had been scheduled to command the Enterprise during the evening shift, and so was sound asleep having exercised to the extent that he was physically tired. Which of course meant that - when the intercom alerted him that he was needed immediately in Sickbay on the ship neither the man (nor his dog,) was happy at the situation.

Yet his second-in-command, T'Pol, wasn't prone to make unreasonable requests of him – unlike a certain Chief Engineer – and Archer struggled in his half-awake state to remember exactly what was supposed to happen during the dayshift as the ship orbited this planet. He managed to remember that Lieutenant Reed had mentioned using the planet below to test explosive materials, and that it also involved visiting the planet's surface itself.

Dressing quickly, the captain made his way toward Sickbay, where he was intercepted by Dr. Phlox and directed to the window in front of the decontamination chamber, where both Commanders T'Pol and Tucker were waiting – and arguing. Archer ignored them and looked in the chamber via the window, noticing that Reed seemed 'passed out' on a bench. Phlox also looked in the window and said, "I sedated and isolated him because of these readings," and showed the captain a readout of a strange shimmering effect that seemed to indicate almost a twinning of the body of the lieutenant . . . .

Phlox stated quite unnecessarily that this was serious – T'Pol that, "It was a danger to the ship." – and Trip that, he was 'freaking out' about his husband's condition. Since Archer couldn't do anything at the moment about the first two comments, he concentrated on Trip Tucker, who was visibly upset, almost crying. "Trip, we'll figure this out!" – a standard phrase meant to calm an emotional Commander Tucker.

However at that very moment something happened that startled everyone, including T'Pol and a normally oblivious Porthos, who howled at the strange sight from the safety of his master's arms. (Though it must be admitted that the captain, probably by way of body movement, made his small canine anxious and he reacted.)

The figure on the bench in the decon chamber seemed to stir, and after a momentary hesitation of decision, sat up. And didn't sit up.

The former swung his legs onto the floor and stood up, spotting the group at the window of the chamber. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed as always was 'proper' whilst on duty, and began his salutation of everyone, with Captain Archer. "Captain, Commanders, Doctor . . . did I 'pass out' in Sickbay?" That query might have normally sufficed but Porthos was still baying frantically, and everyone had backed away from the window – even Trip, who in fact had been leaning on T'Pol as he was feeling wobbly. This was not happening!

Reed frowned as he stood in front of the window. "Wonderful! Have I come down with some particularly foul malady? Doctor?!" At this point he noticed that Archer was looking between where he currently was, and where he had been laid out on the bench. The thought crossed his mind that he had managed to drip some kind of noxious bodily fluid on the mat and most likely on the way over here. Odd, he didn't feel ill in any way.

Malcolm turned around to see what was so interesting – and was surprised. "Oh . . ."

OOOOO

A.N. As I mentioned in the other story that I have currently published - I'm off to a new residence – need to set up new internet . . . see you there!


	2. Chapter 2

The Spirit Is Willing . . .

There wasn't much that was interesting from an armory standpoint on the unnamed 'minor' planet that orbited the 'uninteresting' yellow star that was much like Sol. So when a group from the Armory Department came back from testing a new mixture of explosive, and were 'checked out' by Dr. Phlox – it came as a surprise that he immediately 'held on to' an irritated Malcolm Reed for further examination. Alternate Universe.

OOOOO

Chapter Two

Twenty-four years earlier –

The pond – really not much more than a bog currently – had been in that location on the Reed holding for as long as anyone could remember, having been gifted for service to the crown during the reign of Queen Victoria.

(Several millennia earlier it had been part of a vast marshland, filled with a rich amount of flora and fauna, so much so that the indigenous people mostly used the area to hunt wildlife and to gather a variety of foodstuffs. However, this particular part of the fenland was avoided; it might have been because of the stone outcropping next to a bubbling spring. (People who 'collected' mythology ascribed this kind of behavior to deity worship. This 'spot', however, was unknown to history.) At any rate, if you wanted to get back to your family and friends it was best to avoid the area.)

In the present era, Stuart Reed had intended to dredge the bog and turn it into a 'proper body of water', so that a dock could be built and a connection to the nearby river be established. But nothing had ever done to get it accomplished, and considering that the Reed family was planning to move to Malaysia in furtherance of Commander Reed's naval career, it was nigh impossible that anything would be done – actually a very good thing – considering that, in a few short years, a very rare type of lizard – a color variation of an already rare creature – would be discovered living in the bog.

This particular day, Stuart and Mary Reed had informed their children Madeline and Malcolm that the family would be moving to Malaysia within the month. Madeline being the older of the two was already trying to make her friends envious at the prospect of living in a new environment and seeing new people. (She was also excited at the thought as someone who was already interested in being an architect, at seeing in person many of the buildings that existed in south-east Asia.)

Malcolm, on the other hand, was distraught though he didn't dare tell his father nor express his feelings to his mother or sister, who would undoubtedly tell father. As a nine-year old he had spent his entire childhood living in the old cottage, with its overgrown vegetation being a marvelous hiding place for young lads playing soldier and dreaming of glory. A plan formed in his mind that perhaps he could hide away until his parents and sister left, and he could live with his aunt and uncle who were childless.

They lived further down the lane, in a proper house, as she was the elder daughter who had inherited it from Grandfather Reed. (Alexander Reed had frankly caused the dispute that separated the two siblings. Leaving his house to Alexa, and the land, with the dodgy waterway to Stuart, may have made some sense as he didn't want to be responsible for selling any 'Reed property'.) In a week Lieutenant Commander Reed would be taking his family to Malaysia, so that they would be living closer to his duty station in the Pacific Command, so that Malcolm decided that he needed to 'make his move' quickly.

Accordingly, he began to actively prepare to 'disappear' so that (hopefully) his aunt and uncle would be taking him in to stay, rather than living with his parents in Malaysia.

OOOOO

However, there was an unusual aspect to the Reed holding – incredibly ancient and by the present time, impossible to ascertain as to its origin. Directly next to the stone, by the slowly bubbling spring, there 'lived' a creature that the aforementioned mythologists would have found of interest – as well as any exo-biologist, security professional, or an 'unhinged' being in general.

Nameless, it had for uncounted time, subsumed the life force of mosses and the occasional lizard that was unlucky enough to 'fall under its spell'. As these things are reckoned it was 'amoral' neither having good or ill intent toward its host. Exactly how it had come to this state is unknown, although others of its kind had existed on Earth in the past.

The will to live is the greatest need in all creatures and this being was no different, and as mosses it lived moss-life, and as a lizard, lizard-life. It did come to understand, if that is the proper word, that being a lizard was preferable to living as a moss, and sought out this more active existence.

OOOOO

Another Author Note: Well, I'm still here, so another chapter.


End file.
